Book match



C. E. 'WILLIS BOOK MATCH Aug. 16, 1927.

Filed Nov. 27. 1926 Patented Aug. 16, 1927 UNITED "STATES PATENTT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. WILLIS OF NEW YORK, N.

1300K MATCH.

Application filed November 27, 1926. Serial No. 151,167. 3

- age a flap portion of the shield is lifted 01f of the matches and a single match is torn from-the match strip. The head of this detached match is then struck against a specially prepared friction match "striking surface integral with the shield. As iswell known the ignition of the match by frictional contact with the striking surface often results in not only igniting the single detached match but-igniting theentire match strip and thus all of the matches. Since thepacket at such times is held in one hand, this unintentional igniting of the'matches left in the strip often causes seriousburns to the hands of the user. This is such an every day occurrence that a warning is usually printed on the package calling attention to the danger.

and directing a closing of the flap shield beforestriking the detached match against the friction surface. But too often this warning is not heeded.

In my inventionI have entirely overcome this danger of'burni'ng the hands by providing a book match wherein the matches are not closely held exposed in the hand. This book match resembles in all appearances the ordinary type of book match, and is one that is producedwithout any added cost, and one that is as easily opened and used. In using my improved book match the match strip containing the matches during the ignition of the detached match is either correctly positioned so as to be completely shielded within the package walls, or if through inadvertence the matches are not properly returned beneath the shield they' are nevertheless in such a position relative to the hands. of the user that accidental ignition of the entire match strip would cause no injury. With my improved package it is furthermore highly improbable that the match strip will ever be ignited by the detached match. This will be more apparent as reference is had to the drawings, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof my improved book match in closed position, parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the book match in open position showing its relation to the hand of the user when in one position of use. i

The 'matches 10 in. my improved book match are formed in a match strip 11 in the regular manner, wherein a match head 12 is provided foreach match. The said strip 11 is pivoted within a shield member 13 folded at 14 toprovide opposite Walls 15 in contact, at the edges, With the bottom edge of the said strip 11. One or more strips 11 pro-" viding one or more rows of matches can be used, but in the drawings a single strip 11 is illustrated. The regular type of wire staple 16 extends through the ends of the walls 15 of the shield 13 and'one leg 17 of said staple passes through the match strip 11, this leg 17 forming the pivot point about which the match strip is moved to withdraw the matches 10 from the chamber 18 formed by the shield member 13. This open position is illustrated in Fig. 2." The opposite leg 19 of the staple 16 extends across the space be-- tween the walls 15 of the shield member 13 and a notch 20 formed'in the bottom edge of the match strip 11 permits movement of said strip about its pivot point. As shown in Fig. 1 when the match-strip 11 is in its normal closed position Within the chamber 18 the inner edge of the strip 11 adjacent the notch 20 contacts the leg 19 of the staple 16 and this forms a stop to insure the proper closed position of the match strip 11 Within the chamber 18. The match striking surface 21 is composed of the usual frictional surface painted on or otherwise secured to one of the Walls 15 of the shield 13.

In using my. improved book match the shield member 13 is ordinarily held between the fingers of one hand and the match strip 11 is pivoted about the staple leg 17 by pressing against the corner 22 of the said strip. This corner 22 is made more accessible by cutting away one corner 23 of each edge of the walls 15 of the shield member 13. This pivoting of the match strip 11' about the staple leg 1 removes thematches 10 from the chamber 18 and places them in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, where a single match 10 can be torn away from the strip 11. After the the match stri match is detached the strip 11 and the remaining matches 10 are pushed back into the chamber 18 when the detached match is ignited by striking its head 12 against the striking surface 21. It is much more conmatches into the chamber 18 efore igniting the detached match there is still little probability that the detached match as it is being struck would pass close enough to the heads.

12 of the other matches 10 remaining with ever, such a appening should take lace, the matches remaining within the strip 11 are suficiently far removed from the fingers holding the package to insure that no harm can come to the user.

As shown by the arrow in Fig. 2, the line of travel of the detached match over the striking surface 21 is at a distance removed fromthe heads12 of the matches, and therefore there is little probability of the matches becoming ignited. The cover on the commonly used a book match, unless actually closed completely, serves as a dangerous fim- 11 to ignite them. If, hownel, directing a spark to the heads of the matches in the strip. V 7

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: I

A book match consisting of a shield member formed with spaced side walls, held fixed relatively to one another, by means of a staple element, a match strip carrying a plurality of. matches pivotally connected about one leg of the staple element, whereby the said 'strlpis movable about its pivot center to position the matches outside of the shield member or to. position the matches in a predetermined shielded position Within the spaced side walls of the shield member, the other leg of the staple element forming a positive stop against which the match strip engages in its shielded position.

CHARLES E. wrrms. 

